The Amazing Remote-Control Otters!

OK, for this next trick, you need to get a remote-control device. TV, stereo, it doesn’t really matter, as long as it has a really big button on it. Go ahead, we’ll wait. (elevator music, dum dee dum…) Got it? Now, incredible as this may sound, your remote control will let you switch off these otters’ brains all at once. Start the video, and get ready to push the really big button … right … about …

(00:24) … now. Was that cool or what?!Wait, we’re gonna do it again. On your mark … get set …

Yeah, I think the remote-controller hit the button that’s the French word for stop: p-a-u-s-e. That was right after he hit the recordificate button. Who else has seen that commercial? Yeah, you know what I’m talking about.

I think otters are actually smarter than dolphins and are going to try to take over the world one day. They know how to use their cuteness and their squeakiness is pleasing to the ears and easily mimicable!

This is the rare Fermata Otter, so named because of a tendency to insert dramatic pauses into their daily sing-song. In human behavior, this is referred to as a phenomenon as “Tiberius interruptus,” better known on the street as – “Shatnering.”

Peeps, all we are seeing is one small (dry) corner of a much larger enclosure. I’m sure they have water, but for some reason are congregating in this corner… I suspect watching for dindin to arrive. Can you imagine bringing in a tray of dinner and being swarmed by a fuzzy otter ambush?

Water? No way, Argentee.
I’ve seen this enclosure, and instead of water, you know what they have? A big pool of boiling oil. And at night, they bring in a smoke machine and a bunch of wolverines and they make ’em fight on a wire hanging over the boiling oil, and sometimes the otters are so desperate to swim that they don’t even fight back, they just let themselves be thrown to their deaths. Then the fried otters are eaten by foreigners.

Thread hijack – update on my original hijack of the “kitty hairball” post…

My mom just got a call from the vet. Her dog has cancer, and it’s all over. He actually wanted to put her down right then but my mom resisted. She had been given the same advice from a different vet when her cat had cancer, and the cat lived for another 2 1/2 years. She’s going in to talk to the vet, but best case scenario is probably just a couple of weeks. Thank you SO much to all who sent their prayers and positive thoughts and good wishes, but the outcome is not what we’d hoped for.

I am so so sorry to hear that yankeebird. Though I did not respond, I was thinking of your mom today. Whatever happens, I hope your mom can try to appreciate each moment that she has left with her. Remember that dogs live in the moment, so she should try to enjoy and play and make some smiles before it’s too late. I will give my goobs an extra hug a piece tonight while thinking of your mom.

I’m sorry, yankeebird. I thought about your mom and her dogs a lot since your other post. I’m so good at putting myself in other people’s shoes, I’m trying not to cry right now just thinking about your mom. I’ll keep rooting for her, though.

@Yankeebird: I’m facing a similar situation with one of my cats – Hugs to your Mom – are you familiar with the Rainbow Bridge? You can google it and find it – it’s a lovely description of pet Heaven. It might be some comfort.

Another issue to send your thoughts to: someone or someones here in Tulsa did something TERRIBLE to some dogs and the police here are foaming at the mouth to find those responsible. Cross your fingers that they do cuz these people HAVE to be punished. K, I’m done, happy thoughts now!

DixiesMom, Teho is 100% correct. Do NOT apologize at all. Not only is the internet ungainly big, but it does not revolve around me. If I was worried about people being joyous while I was sad, well… CO isn’t where I’d come hang out.

Thank you (and thank everyone) for the supportive comments. Willow is currently home now and resting fairly comfortably but for the stitches from her surgery this morning. The vet is trying very hard to keep my mom grounded in reality – without treatment, she’ll probably make it a couple of days at most. In fact, the vet left her IV in because he’s expecting to use it again very soon for the pentobarbital. With treatment (meaning chemo and whatever else they can think of) maybe six months. Here’s a photo of the lovely girl:http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v207/yankeebird/willow.jpg

I watched the otters earlier today without sound and didn’t quite get the joke. They did seem to pause briefly as if waiting for someone to take their pictures, so I thought that was what the “click” was about. It was so funny to hear what was going on!

Yankeebird, again, all of my good wishes: Willow is a beautiful dog and obviously very loved, so whatever the outcome, there will be love.

Not to further thread jack, but I arrived home tonight to learn that Coco, my mom’s cat, had a huge gash in her leg from we don’t know what. My mother has taken her to the emergency room (I’m sure she’ll be fine but it was a very, very bad wound). So I came here to look at as much cute as I can while I await their return. Love to all.

Notfunny, that’s a pretty ignorant comment. Zoos do some of the most good in the world for animal conservation, and many endangered species would be badly off without zoos. I work at a zoo, and I am very proud of that fact, because I get to help endangered wildlife recover every day.

I have met these tineh behbeh ottars! Their squeaking seems to be connected to hunger and so when it gets close to their feeding times they sort of latch onto the gate where the staff bring ’em their om noms. And they squeak a LOT. I had one adopted in my name, not one of these Asian Short Claws, but one of the Eurasian otters in the centre’s breeding and re-introduction programme. It was a brilliant birthday gift and anyone who can get to the centre or its partner sites, go!

Yankeebird, so sorry. I’ve had lots of animals put to sleep (ok, I know it’s a euphemism)but mine have mostly been very aged and/or sick and ready to go, so we’ve all been thankful for their good lives. I try to be with them and if the vet won’t let me be, I have an old tee shirt that one of the family has worn for a couple of days and I ask the vet to wrap them in that so they know we’re nearby and carry us with them to whatever animal heaven they go to. lots of love to you and your mum.

I don’t usually bother to try and correct the nuffers, but for GAWD’S sake don’t jump in half way through a thread. Start at the first comment and work through. I know a lot of peeps these days, have the attention span of an Amoeba, but, to be able to comment from a point of knowledge, rather than ignorence, you have to put a bit of work in. Someone posted a link to the site of the SANCTUARY, not the torture chamber. There IS plenty of water, the Otters ARE waiting to be fed…… Calms down. I see they run the Battersea Park chidren’s Zoo,not too far from me, if only there were more holurs in a day.

bookmonstercats: Yankee bird: Four years ago I buried Hon Glad (The Honourable Gladys Anstruther) in an old sweatshirt of mine. The vet came to my house to terminate her life (she had cancer, caused by the sun on a pink nose) like me she loved the sun, she just refused to eat. The effect of the injection is almost instant, but keep stroking and talking because, they are not quite gone. I buried her in the garden with rose petals in the bottom of the hole and rose petals on top of the body. Placed a heavy slab over the hole because of Foxes.
There is a Olive tree in a container, on top of the slab.
Yankeebird, it is very hard, It took me over a Year and you never really get over it.

although,as an officially licensed otter translator, i can reveal that “squueeeeeeeeel squeeeeek”in otter translates to “**** off and stop filming me! i’m tryin’ to find some water around here!” in human.

I agree about the zoos. Unfortunately, our world is in such a state that if we don’t protect animals in zoos, they won’t be protected anywhere. Obviously the animals would be better off in their natural environment IF (and this is where the problem comes in) their natural environment didn’t have traffic through it, waste near it, or anything in it that is valuable to cut down, mine, dig up, or build on. So until every. single. person. on this planet decides to make wildlife a priority (which, God knows we should), zoos are doing their best to give these animals as close to their real habitat as possible.

That being said, if an otter squeeeeeks in the wild and no one is around to hear….?

And OMGOTTERS!!!ELEVEN1! They are so cute, but you gotta watch out for the pointy bits.

There’s a similar sanctuary about an hour away from where I live and I went there once with some friends. One friend was standing with one foot slightly under the fence and one of the otters was not having any of it. Bit clear through the leather of his hiking boot! o_O

Just wanted to offer the link: http://www.ottersandowls.co.uk/welcome.htm for anyone worried about these adorable mewing fluffs! The site says that a majority of the animals are returned to the wild and most are in boxhab — err, rehab. Additionally, they’re perpetuating threatened species. I know zoos are contentious and we’re seeing a little corner of an exhibit, I don’t think we need worry.

I’ve been to this place, and the enclosures are plenty big enough. What we’re seeing here is the squeaking that occurs directly before a keeper with food appears and the nomming gets under way. Much squeaking = nom time; at least that’s what teh otters seem to think. I suspect noms come anyway.

what are the little bebehs squealin about? here, lil otters, here’s 95 tons of abalone! is that better? whatever you want, anything, just name it! Oh, you need fish and hushpuppies, too? Comin’ right up!

I have been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium otter sanctuary now several times ain the last year. Ever otter population is now either on the endangered list or just steps away from it. They are losing habitate fast to both pollution and building.
We should be applauding teh conservationist efforts to help these beautiful fun loving furry creatures.
All sanctuaries give the animals plenty of room and water and even stimulating methods of getting their food and tons of natural play toys.
Zoo’s have come a long way from the small cramped cages of yesteryear. I have watched them change and improve through the years until they are nothing like what they used to be. I realize they have a long way to go but they are working on it bit by bit.

I’ve done my internship at a small zoo and worked with Asian small-clowed otters and yes, this is the noise they make when it’s almost feeding time. They’d recognize my work outfit (beige polo) and start squeeing like that. It’s pretty cute, they stand on their hind legs, we even had one that made little jumps! And that is also the reason that they’re all piled up, that is probably where they’re being fed or where the caretaker come into the enclosure.